Wednesday, January 21, 2015

The case for Malamulele Municipality.

A COGENT CASE FOR MALAMULELE MUNICIPALITY: IT IS NOT TRIBALISM, IT IS
SERVICE DELIVERY.

Floyd Shivambu

The violent protests that have
defined Malamulele to demand a Municipality independent of the Thulamela Local
Municipality have largely been defined and characterised in media circles as
tribal cries for a tribal authority. While the consciousness of ordinary people
in Malamulele might have tribal undertones, it is entirely incorrect that a
demand for a municipality is solely on the basis of tribal dynamics, wherein Xitsonga
speaking citizens do not want to be under a Municipality that is predominated
by Tshivenda speaking citizens. It is only lazy minds that reduce the genuine
demands into a tribal issue because there are real socio economic aspects and
features that need attention in Malamulele.

I spent a significant part of my
formative years in Malamulele and in all honesty, the only two visible changes
that have happened in Malamulele town as a result of public expenditure are 1)
a robot on the cross road towards the shopping complex and 2) a boxing
gymnasium built by the Provincial government in honour of Cassius Baloyi, who
is one of the most successful professional boxers from Malamulele.

There might be other developments,
but the condition of the pot holed access roads to Malamulele have not changed
since 1994, except recurrent patches which recur more often than they are
repaired. Electrification of most villages was completed in 2012, and due to
high levels of unemployment and poverty, electrification has not significantly
changed the lives of villagers who still depend on firewood for cooking and
warmth during winter, expect in household of Gauteng migrant workers. The only
place with a sewerage system is Malamulele town, which only accommodates less
than 10% of the entire Malamulele population.

The other obvious reality is that
virtually all retailers in Malamulele shopping complex are not residents of
Malamulele and this is the case with many other rural towns in South Africa.
These become victims of the protests whenever the community rises in demand of
a local municipality. A perception exists that majority of employees in the
Thulamela Local Municipality are those who stay closer to Thulamela
Municipality and if not handled properly, this perception arouses some sense
that there are certain degrees of tribal preferences. This still needs to be
confirmed.

Due to these realities and many
others, the 14th of September 2014, the leadership of the Economic
Freedom Fighters led by President Julius Malema visited Malamulele community to
listen to the grievances and concerns of the people of Malamulele, in order to
organically understand the Malamulele question. It emerged during our
interaction with the people of Malamulele that the entire area called Malamulele
has a population of over 500 000 people, more than 80 villages, 1
Malamulele Town, two police stations, two non-operational gold Mines, and the
Punda Maria gate to Kruger National Park happens from Malamulele.

An absolute majority of those who
spoke to us decried the lack of services, jobs, and basic necessities which
would otherwise be provided by a competent government. We aware of the problems
the people of all the people of Malamulele face, particularly the lack of
proper roads, lack of sewerage system, inconsistent water supply, and
inefficient municipality services. We are also aware of the extent and level of
joblessness and unemployment in Malamulele.

Malamulele is an area of 9.57
square kilometres, with more than 80 villages, 14 wards, more than 30 High
Schools, and more than 40 Primary schools. Demographically, Malamulele
qualifies for a Municipality, as there are many Municipalities in Limpopo and
all over South Africa which are far smaller than the size of Malamulele. Mutale
Local Municipality is under the same Vhembe District Municipality as Malamulele
and its population size is around 80 000, which is six times smaller than
Malamulele population. Musina is a local Municipality under Vhembe and has a
population size of about 50 000 which is 10 times smaller than Malamulele
population.

Our thorough investigation and
assessment of the reasons came to the conclusion that tribalism is not the case
and reason why the people of Malamulele are demanding a Municipality. There are
instances of false consciousness amongst the protestors, but an absolute
majority of the people, particularly the youth and elderly woman is that a
Municipality is needed so that it can provide job opportunities and deliver
services quicker to the people of Malamulele and their more than 80 villages.

Of course the population size is
not the only basis upon which a Municipality should be decided, there are many
other aspects that need to be given practical attention, particularly the
economic viability of a jurisdiction that should be a municipality. As Economic Freedom Fighters, we support the
call for a Municipality in Malamulele, made this commitment in our elections
manifesto. We do not believe that a Municipality will be a panacea for all the
developmental challenges facing Malamulele, hence we support the Municipality
on the following grounds and basis:

a)National, Provincial, District and Local
Government should make Malamulele economically viable to generate enough
resources for the Municipality to self-sustain and create more job
opportunities for the people of Malamulele.

b)There are so many Municipalities in South Africa
that are predominantly 1 language, and Malamulele will not be the first one to
be predominantly 1 language.

c)The people of Malamulele should meet with the
business community in Malamulele and begin thorough discussions on how, where
and when they should expand economic activities in Malamulele, including the
expansion of the current shopping complex and construction of Malls to allow
continued economic activities.

d)The people of Malamulele should develop a
tourism programme which links to the Punda Maria gate to the Kruger National
Park, and extract maximum economic possibilities and potential out of the
proximity to Kruger National Park.

e)The two gold Mines should begin operation and
employ predominantly local people, help them with skills and other basic
necessities needed for the Mines to continue operation.

f)Small scale agriculture, particularly eggs and
chicken farming should be expanded through State aided provision of a hatchery,
chicken houses, feed, medication, and abattoir to process chicken products.

g)The now dilapidated Shingwedzi College of
Education should be re-opened as a Further Education and Training (FET) college
which will provide many vocational skills and training capacities to the people
of Malamulele.

h)The 14 Wards currently demarcated under
Malamulele should re-demarcated into 25 Wards in order to have a viable and
vibrant Council.

These activities will make a
Malamulele Municipality viable and present the people with possible
opportunities for real economic emancipation. Reducing the genuine demand for
Malamulele Municipality into a demand for tribal exclusivity is disingenuous
and should be dismissed with contempt. The clarion call of the people of
Malamulele is that Give them a Municipality, and make it economically viable.